Carrying case for fishing rods



June 2, 1953 J. SABATINO CARRYING CASE FOR FISHING RODS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 29, 1947 INVENTOR. JOJ'P/l 545477/1/0 June 2, 1953 J. SABATINO CARRYING CASE FOR FISHING sons 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dee. 29, 1947 Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED sTATs PATENT OFFICE 2,640,622 CARRYING CASE FOR FISHING RODS Joseph Sabatino, Dayton, Ohio I Application December 29, 1947, Serial No. 794,217

12 Claims.

This invention relates to a carrying case for fishing rods.

One object of the invention is to provide a rod case which is of light weight'and easily handled and whichhas separate compartments for each offa'rela'tively large-number of rod sections.

- A further object of the invention is to provide a" rod case having means for carrying a reel, or other accessories, without materially increasing the size of the case, or interfering with the handling of the case or with access to the rods there- A further object of the invention is to p ovide a. rod case having an end closure provided with a reel compartment. l

A further" object of the invention is to provide such a rod case in which the reel compartment isso protected that there is little or no danger of it being accidentally-opened so that the reel may fall therefrom. Other objects of the invention may appear as the case is described in detail. In the accompanying drawingsFig. 1 is a perspective view of a rod case embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a case with the closure in its open position and partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the case showing the upper end section thereof in its open position to permitaccess to the rods; Fig. 5 is asimilar view showing the closure for the upper-end section of the case in its open position to permit access to the interior thereof; Fig. 6 isa front elevation of theadjacent end portions of the upper and lower sections of the case, broken away to show the latching mechanism in elevation; Fig.7 is a frac tional section taken on the line l'| of Fig. 6; Fig. 3 is a fractional section taken on the line 8.8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a perspective View of an anti rattling device; and. Fig. 10 is a perspective view'of the upper end of a modified form of the case. showing the closure therefor in its open position.

..In these drawings Ihave illustrated a preferred embodiment of the'invention, together with a minor modification thereof, but it is to be understood that the rod case-as a Whole as well as the several parts thereof, may take various forms without departing from the spirit offthe invention. i'

The case comprises an elongate body portion Ill open at its upper end and provided with an upper end section 24 movably connected with the open end of the lower or body section and forming a continuation thereof The terms upper" and lower are herein used withreference to the case when the latter is in anupright po-' sition. Both sections of the case are rectangular in form and the body section is divided into a plurality of compartments which for the most part are rectangular in cross section and are vof such a character as to utilize all the spacewithin the bodyof the case. In the arrangement shown the body of the case is divided by a longitudinal partition ll into two longitudinal parts. Each of these parts is divided by partitions l2, l3 and 24 into longitudinal compartments of. different sizes. As here shown the compartments injthe two parts of the case are the same in number and the corresponding compartments in the twoparts are of the same size, but obviously thefcompartments may be of. any suitable. sizes. and ofaiiy suitable number. The compartments l5,j formed by the respective partitions l2 and the front wall l6 of the case, are relatively largeand each is adapted to receive the handle portion of a cast ing rod. The handles of casting rods are usually relatively large and are, provided with projections or finger pieces, extending from one side thereof, to provide a firm hand grip. Usually casting rod handles when mounted in a case do not have anypart of the rod. connected therewith and are therefore relatively short. ,For the purpose of supporting such a handle in the upper portion of either compartment 15 each of these compartments is provided with a support;- ing device, such as a crossbar l1, spaced; from the upper end thereof and arranged to beengag'ed by the finger piece on the handle and thus sup"- port. the handle in the upper portion of the compartment. The finger piece is of narrow. width and occupies but a small part of the width of the compartment and in order to utilize this space, a

longitudinal partition It extends diagonally across the outer corner of each of the compartments to form in said corner a subcompartment I9 triangular inform. -If desired a hook or knob 50' may be attached to the 'partitionlB to support an accessory, such as a device for stringing fish. The compartments 2%, formedbetween the partitions l2 and it; are somewhat smaller than the compartments l5 and are adapted to receive the handle section of a fly rod, such a handle usually having a rod section secured thereto. The compartments 2|, formed by the. partitions l4 and II, are relatively small and theseconk partments, as well as the compartments 19,, are adapted to receive sections of a rod, or rod tips. The case is provided with a suitable handle .for

carrying the same and as here shown, the handle, 22, is connected with the front wall of the body portion substantially midway between the ends of the case as a whole so that the latter will be substantially balanced when supported by the handle. It may also be desirable to provide in the lower portions of the several compartments cushioning devices 23, such as pads of felt or the like, to protect the rod sections if they-should be permitted to drop into the compartments for substantially their entire length.

The movable upper end section 24 of the case 15 of substantial length and is hollow and adapted to provide space in which reels'o'r other accessories may be carried. It is here shown-ashaving its back wall connected with the back wall of the body section by hinges 25,'-'the abutting walls of the two sections being rabbeted, as shown at 23, to provide a tight joint between thetwo "sections and to hold the same against relative lateral displacement. The lower end of the upper section, thatis the 'enplfadjacent the body section, is .closed by a wall 2"! and is provided with a movable closure to p'erniitaccess to be had thereto. In the'present instance this closure is shown at 28 asth'e front wall of the end section and is hinged to'the top wall thereof at 29. The interior of the end section 24 is'divided by a partition 30 into two compartments each of which is large enough to receive a reel and/or other accessories. It is, of course, necessary to provide means for securing'the end section 24 in closing relation to the open upper end of the body section and it is also desirable that the closure 23 forthe'e'nd section, or reel compartments, shall be secured in its closed positionand that the closure 23 shall be retained in its closed position both when the end section is secured in closing relatio-nto the body section and when it is in opening relation to the body section, so as to ave-1a thepossibility of the reels, orother accesseries, from falling from the compartments when the end section is moved to its open position. For this purpose I have provided suitable latching means for securing 'the end section in closing relation to the body section and for securing the compartment closure of the end section in its closed position. -In the present arrangement a single latching device is used for this purpose and is of suchacharacter that the locking of the end section in line with thebody section will also lockthe compartment'closure in closing position. and that the compartment closure must be locked before .the end'sec'tion can be moved to its open position. Inthearrangement shown the body section is 'provi'ded'o'n the inner sideo-f the upper end of its front Wall [6 with a keeper 3|, and the end section '25 is provided adjacent'the front edge 'of o e of its side walls with a keeper 32. The latching device further comprises two latching members 33 and 34 connected one with the other and in' the present instance forming parts of a single latching element 35 which is rigidly sebu'red to-the inner end of a pin 36 rotatably mounted in the low'er'por'tion of the compartment closure 28 and having rigidl'y'secured to its outer'end an actuating device or knob 31. The keeper 31 on the body portion is of substantial length transversely of the body and has an armate lower edge '33. The latching member 33 is "provided at its outer end with afo'rwardly extending lip 39 adapted tobe'mo-ved into engagementwith the arcuate edge of the keeper 3! by the'rotatio n of the element 35. The latching member '34has aflat'end portion adapted to be moved into retaining engagement with the keeper 32 on the wall of the case by the rotation of the element 35. When the latching member 33 is moved into locking engagement with the keeper 3| the: latching member 3d will be out of engagement with its keeper 32 but the: latching member being mounted on the inner side of the compartment closure 28 its engagement with the keeper '31 will not only lock the end sectionin closing relation to the body section but will lock the closure 28 in closing relation to the compartments. with in the end section. When the latching member 33 is moved out of engagement with the keeper 31 the end of the latching member 34 will be moved into retaining engagement with the keeper 32 and the relative positions of the two latching members, and the lengths of the. two keepers are such that the latching member 3% will engage the keeper 32 before the latching member 33 is moved entirely out of engagement with the keeper 3 5. Consequently the releasing of the end section for movement to its open position automat ically lockis'the compartment closure in its closed position. 'Prereramy the latching member 33 is of resilientm'aterial and is provided with a forwardly extendingrounded'projection it adapted to enter a recess in'the keeper 3! when the latching member is'in proper locking relation there-to and thus yieldably retain the latching member in that position. Thus it will be apparent that the reel compartments can be opened only after the end section or body closure has been moved to its open position'and the'latching device actuated to release the closure 28.

ill)

The rod sections are, of course, of relatively small diameter with relation to their respective compartments and'i'n order to prevent the same from rattling ".vherithe case is being carried I have'provided an anti-rattling device, preferably in the nature of a flat plate ll of suitable material, "as shown in Fig. 9. This plate is adapted to fit in the upper portion of the body section and to rest upon the partitions therein and is of such dimensions that it will have little or no movement transversely to the body. It is provided with openings 42 through which the ends of the rods may extend, it beingunderstood, of course, that the anti-rattlingdevice is placed about the rods after the latter have been inserted in their compartments.

In 10 .I have shown a slightly modified form of the-"invention-in which the body section 43 is similarin-sbape to the body section It! above described butin which the arrangement of the partitions 4:1 is somewhat different from that above described. The closure 35 for this form of the case is hinged to the upper end of the body portion thereof as shown at 16 and is provided with flanges 41 to-engage the upper ends of the walls of the body,but it is notprovided with compartments and is not particularly adapted to serve as acontainer.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of myinvention I wish it to be understood that I-do not-desire to be limited to the details thereof "as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having-now fully described my invention what I claim as new-and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A carryingcasefor-fishingrods comprising an "elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receivesections of a fishing rod, a relatively short end section having therein a tion.

2. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at oneend and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, a relatively short end section having therein a compartment and an opening through which fishing accessories may be inserted in and removed from said compartment, a closure for said opening, means for mounting said closure on said end section for movement into and out of a position'to close said opening, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement into and out of a position to close the open end of said body section, a latching device having means for retaining said end section in closing relation to said body section and for retaining said, compartment closure in its closed position while said end section is' in closing relation tosaid body section, and means cooperating with said latching device for retaining said compartment closure in closed position after said end section has been released for movement to body opening position. n 3. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, a relatively short end section having therein a compartment and an opening through which fishing accessories may be inserted inand removed from said compartment, a closure for said opening, means for mounting said closure on said end section for movement into and out of a position to close said opening, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement into and out of a position to close the open end of said body section, a latching mechanism having means for locking said compartment closure to said body section and thereby retaining both said compartment closure and said end sectidn in'closing positions, and having other means for retaining said compartment closure in closing position when it has been released from said body section. 7 r

' 4. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rodfa relatively short end section having therein a compartment and an opening through which fishing accessories may be inserted in and removed from said compartment, a closure -for said opening, means 'for mounting said closure on said end section for movement into and out of a position to'close said opening, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement into and out of a position to close the open end of said body section, a latching mechanism having means for locking, said compartment closure to said body section and thereby retaining both said compartment closure and said end section in closing positions, and having other means for retaining said compartment closure in closing position when it has been released from said body section, and a single device operable 6, from the exterior of said case for actuating both of said retaining means.

*5. Acarrying case for fishing rods comprising anelongatebody section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, a relatively short end section having therein a compartment and an opening through which fishing accessories may be inserted in and removed from saidcompartment, a closure for said opening, means for mounting said closure on said end section for movement into and out of a position to" close said opening; -'means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement intoand'out" ofa position to cl'osethe open end of saidbody section, a keeper on'said body section, a'secon'd keeper on a part of said end section other than said closure','a latching'member movably mounted on said compartment closure to engage the keeper on said body section and retain said end section in closing position with relation-to said body section and to retain said closure in closing position with relation to said compartment, a" second movable latching -mem"-. ber on said closure to engage said second keeper and retain said closure in compartment closing position when the first mentioned latching member has been moved out of engagement with'its keeper, and a s ingle 'device' for actuatingboth latchingmembers,

6. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open atone end and adapted 'to receive: sections of a fishing rod, an end section, means for mounting said end section on 'said body section for movement to and from a position to close the open end of said body section, said end section having a compartment therein and a movable wall forming a closure for said compartment, separate keepers on said body section and on a part-of said end section other than said movable wall,'latching members mounted on said movable wall for movement into or out of engagement with the'respective keepers, and single device for actuating both latching members.

V 7. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, an end section, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement to and from ap'osition to close the open end of said body section, said end section having a compartment therein and a movable wall forming a closure for said compartment, separate keepers on said body section and on a part of said end section other than said movable wall, a latching devicemovably supported on the inner side of said movable wall, havingpart to engage one of said keepers when said device'is moved to one position, and having a second part to engage the other of said keepers when said'device is moved to a second position, and means supported on the outer side of said movablewall for operating said device.

" 8 A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, an end section, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement to and from a position to close the open end of said body section, said end section having a compartment therein and a movable wall forming a closure for said compartment, separate keepers on said body section and on a part of said end section other than said movable Wall, a. latching device rotatably supported on the inner side of said movable wall and having two members rigid therewith accuses and adapted to engage the respective keepers, said members being so positioned with relation one to the other and to said keepers that the rotation of said device in either direction will move one of said members into engagement with its keeper and will move the other of said members out of engagement with its keeper, and means on theouter side of said movable wall for rotating said device.

9. Acarrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body section open at one end and adapted to receive sections of a fishing rod, an end'section, means for mounting said end section on said body section for movement to and from a position to close the open end of said body section, said end section having a compartment therein and a movable wall forming a closure for said compartment, separate keepers on said body section and on a part of said end section other than said movable wall, a latching device movably supported on the inner side of said movable Wall and having separate parts to engage the respective keepers, said parts being so positioned with relation one to the other and to said keepers that the operation of said device to engage one of said parts with its keeper will disengage the other of said parts from its keeper before the first mentioned part has been engaged with-its keeper, and means supported on the outer side of said movable wall for operating said device.

10. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body rectangular in cross section and open at one end, partitions dividing said body into a plurality of longitudinal compartments rectansular in cross section, and-of different sizes adapted respectively to receive handle and rod sections of fishing rods, an end section rectangular in cross section, hinged to the open end of said body section and constituting a closure thereof, said end section having a compartment therein and having its front wall hinged thereto to form a movable closure for said compartment, a keeper on said'body section adjacent the open'end thereof, a second keeper on a fixed side wall of said end section, a latching device movably supported on the inner side of said hinged wall of said end section and having separate parts to engage the respective keepers, said parts of said latching device being so positioned with-relation one to the other and'to said keepers that th operation of said-device to move one part thereof out of engagement with the keeper on said body section will move the other part of said latching device into'engagement with the keeper on said end sec tion before said end section has been released for movement with relation to said body section, and means supported on the outer side of said movable wall of said end section for operating said latching device.

11. A carrying case for fishing rods comprising an elongate body rectangular in cross section and open at one end, partitions dividing said body into a plurality of longitudinal compartments rectangular in'cross section and of different sizes adapted respectively to receive handle and rod sections of 'fishing'rods, an end section rectangular in cross section, hinged to the open end of said body section and constituting a. closure thereof, said end section having a compartment therein and having its front wall hinged thereto to form a movable closure for said compartment, a keeper on said body section adjacent the open end thereof, a second keeper on a fixed side wall of said end section, a latching device movably supported on the inner side of said hinged wall of said end section, said latching device having a part to engage the keeper on said body section when said latching device is moved to one position and thereby retain said front wall of said end section against movement with relation to either said body section or said end section, and also having a second part to engage the keeper on said end section when said latching device is moved out of engagement with the keeper on said body portion and thereby retain said front wall of said end section in compartment closing position when said end section is released for movement with relation to said body section, and means operable from the exterior of said casing to actuate said latching device.

12. A latching mechanism having locking means for both the closure of a main compartment and the closure of an auxiliary compartment, each compartment having an opening coverable by the closure thereof, said auxiliary compartment acting as the closure member of the main compartment, said locking means including a latch member movably mounted on the closure of the auxiliary compartment, said latch memher having a plurality of positions, means cooperating with said latch member for lockingthe closure of the auxiliary compartment and the auxiliary compartment to the main compartment covering the opening of'the main compartment when the latch member is in one position, thereby retaining both compartments in closed position, the latch member when actuated to a second position releasing the auxiliary compartment from the main compartment, mean cooperating with the latch member when in the second position for retaining the closure for said auxiliary compartment in closed position as the auxiliary compartment is released from the main compartment, the latch member when again moved releasing the closure of the auxiliary compartment.

JOSEPH SABATINO.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 396,702 Lottie Jan. 22, 1889 417,979 Borcherdt Dec. 24,1889 513,044 Handlan, Jr. Jan. 16, 1894 695,202 French Mar. 11, 1902 863,447 Rice Aug. '13, 1907 1,369,577 Townley Feb. 22, 1921 1,967,794 Wagner July 24, 1934 1,976,765 Berry Oct. 16', 1934 1,980,104 Silverspitz Nov. 6, 1934 2,135,238 Malik Nov. 1, 1938 2,332,918 Kalske Oct, 26, 1943 2,413,025 Marine Dec. 24, 1946 2,440,541 Gash Apr. 27, 1948 2,474,173 Trim-1o June 21, 1949 2,501,270 Fleming Mar. 21, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 8,979 Great Britain 1891 

